Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 19: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry took up the matter of non-functioning of the Srinagar Passport office with Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj.
The KCC&I held an emergency meeting under the chairmanship of President Sheikh Ashiq and took strong exception of almost non-functioning of Srinagar Passport Office causing unimaginable hardships to people already traumatized by devastation caused by recent floods.
“The passport office has shifted its base to camp office Jammu and posted two junior officials to deal with hundreds of passport holders who lost their passports or whose passports got defaced/ damaged or were washed away by the ravaging floods”, a statement issued by KCCI said.
“It is shocking to note that instead of lending a helping hand and humane touch in attending to the requirements of the flood affected people they are being made to stand in serpentine queues for hours and asked to submit multiple affidavits, police attested photographs and many more documents . This cumbersome process only adds to the woes of already miserable people badly deserving a break from continued harassment at the hands of Central and State Government Departments”, the statement said.
“It is common knowledge that people require fresh passports on urgent basis to travel abroad for purposes like education, medical emergencies, pilgrimage, family visits. The refusal /delay in issuing process goes against the very purpose for helping the needy by taking recourse to unwarranted and needless formalities. Despite the fact that Srinagar passport office computer records are safe and every information being insisted upon by the applicants is already available with them. The people applying for the fresh Passport have a similar tale to narrate”, said the statement.
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